His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 81 Ten days later,and my twins were ready to be discharged from the hospital. Aurora was growing slowly, but steadily.

When I asked Gabriel to leave or at least leavealone, he refused. When I didn't entertain his whims, he triple paid for a hospital room next to mine and I'm very sure he made up a fake diagnosis that he doesn't have.

I bickered with him every step of the way. I bickered with him even on decisions I wouldn't have otherwise, just because I could. Maybe I was angry at him. Maybe I was hurt. Or maybe it was the postpartum hormones that were makinga mess.

Sam hadn't visited, even when I told Alice to let him know he could. I wanted to talk to him, to demand answers, to know if my friend of so many years had really denied my children the chance of having their father in their life because he loved me. Perhaps his absence was for the best.

Gabriel cleared the entire bill of the hospital when I was busy feeding the twins, because when I asked at the counter, the lady simply smiled and said, "Oh dear, your husband cleared it an hour ago." Of course he did.

I grit my teeth, said nothing. Gabriel gave a toothy smile in return.

Back at my grandfather's house, Gabriel frowned when he saw the single cot in the middle of the nursery I had hand painted.

"One?" He asked, his displeasure clear in his voice.

"Gabriel." I try replying patiently, "I bought one because it seemed apt. They're still very little." Well, Sam had bought the other one but I cancelled it after Sam offered to step up and be the babies' father. The money was refundable, and it just didn't seem right to take from him.

"This is a cot. Why didn't you buy a cradle?" I stifled a groan. "Gabriel! Can we talk outside?" He nodded, and I looked at Luna, who understood what I meant if she could keep an eye on the twins.

I gulped, walking out, and he followed. I crossed my hands before my chest. "You need to go home." "And leave you and my children here? Nonsense." "Gabriel.." I suck in a deep breath. “There isn't enough space here to accommodate all of us. Especially not with your men following us since the moment we left the hospital." "Which is why I think you should take my suggestion up and chome. We have space, we can raise them peacefully." There is no we happening here. And even if there was, I don't want to go to your house. It's too huge and impersonal. It's not fit for four people, it's as if it's made for a million house-staffs,” I tell him, and I think it may have been the fifteenth tin the past ten days. "I want to raise them here, and I am completely capable of doing that alone. You are obviously welcto be a part of their lives, to visit whenever you want, and we will work out a custody arrangement when they grow up a little more." He stiffens, but says nonetheless, “I can visit any tI want, you said?" "Yes," I agree, but continue eyeing him suspiciously. Is he really agreeing toso easily? "In that case," he grins, "I would like to be visiting now. And just for your information, I am going to be on this visit for the foreseeable future." 1/4 12:38 Tue, Jun 4.

Chapter St 1 grit my teeth. Gabriel Freckles, you look adorable when you're mad. But you're insane if you think I am leaving from here. If you throwout. I will break in. You would literally have to getarrestedfor trespassing if you wantout of here, and even then I can't guarantee I won't bribe the police and be back here within the hour I suck in a deep, frustrated breath. "Where were you all the tthat I needed you? And now you're here now that I finally learnt to live by myself?" "You learnt to live by yourself?" His eyes darken 1 purse my lips. I knew I should just say yes, hurt him back the way he's hurting me, but I couldn't. He was still the only mant in this world who madefeel like there were a million firecrackers insidethe moment he was close.

"Where are you going to even stay?" I ask, deflecting.

"I won't be in your way. I'll take the couch of the living room if that's okay with you" I feel my chest hurt, the hollowness return, but I say nothing. I just leave.

I didn't have any sense of tafter I chome. Having a baby was hard, and having two of them was harder because when one cried, the other slept. And when one slept, the other cried. So I had to be up all the time, covered in ruilk, vomit and pee.

Every day and night felt the same, yet different.

The only sleep I got was when they were both fed and awake, and Gabriel took one of them while Luma took the other. They entertained the twins for a few hours while I napped till one of them cried again.

I wasn't using formula yet.

It wasn't all chaotic. There were good moments too, like tonight. Despite both the babies being asleep, I couldn't sleep. I felt this anxiety of being away from them, so I sat in their nursery, witching them.

While going inside, I watched Gabriel sleep on the couch. He barely fit, his feet dangling out and he seemed uncomfortable by the amount of times he tried turning and almost fell. Lama had brought it up multiple times that she hated that she had a bed and her former employer was on the couch and that she would be more than happy to trade places, but I dismissed all her offers.

I wanted to see how long he can go on with his stubbornness.

Apparently, he had no plans to budge His will to stay thawing my cold heart that night, I placed a light duvet on him while going to the nursery, but that must've woken him up because minutes after I settled on the floor of their nursery, Gabriel cin.

"Can I join you?" He asked in a little whisper, and for whatever reason, I didn't feel like saying no. So I nod and scoot over a little despite there being plenty space on both sides of me.

Gabriel sits quietly on my right, his legs sprawled ahead while mine hug my chest.

"Can you believe they're ours?" He muttered more to himself thanbut it brings a little smile to my lips.

"No, I reply in a happy daze. "They're going so quick, right?" "So quick" He agrees, "I swear Aurora smiled atthe other day 2/1 12:38 Tue, Jun 4 R Chapter 81 ☐ "Before we know it, they're going to begin crawling." "I take pictures of them every day. I'm going to make this huge album for when they're adults and embarrass them in front of all their adult friends." I giggle. "Such a doting Dad. Who knew?" "Who knew?" He repeats afterin a dreamy sigh.

A comfortable silence spreads between us, one that I had no intention of breaking till he speaks up.

"It was a recording." he says just as silently after a minute and I turn my head towards him.

"Sorry?"

Lily calledthe morning you came.

I don't even remember ruch of that conversation, just that endeditm telling her she should move on and this is goodbye." He adds, and my heart sinks at the mere mention of that day. "That call was recorded. She played just those three words from our conversation." "How." My lips part. "What?" He looks back at me. "You really thought I would let it go? Something, someone took you from me... Of course I was going to get to the end of it" "Did she confess?" I ask.

He nods. "I sent Lou to her- Lou is the investigator I hired to find you, by the way- and she confessed. She'll pay, Freckles."

I don't want her to." I say quietly, suddenly realising how close are faces were. As much as all this hurt me, as much as t wanted to demand preof, after having these little babies, everything seemed minute in front of the way my life had changed. "Is this the girl that Sam saw you with? He mentioned she looked like me." "Oddly, she did. And yes, Sam saw her the day I hired her. He says. "You talked to him?" "Yeah, when I first cback to this town, I ran into him. He ccot shopping with me." "It should've been me." He says, masking the hurt in his voice to his best ability. "I would've bought two cots.

And maybe the entire store.

"He actually did buy the other cot," I tell him.

"Where is it then?" "I cancelled it," I say in a whisper, gulping. After he offered to step up and..." "And?" Gabriel's tone changes completely from the soft and affectionate one to firm and angry.

"Be my partner and the babies dad." I look away from him, not finding it into watch his expressions shift from utter hurt to a destructive anger.

"What did you say?" "I said no, of course." I hastily reply in an obvious tone, offended he had to even ask.

"You waited for me?" He asks, and I knew the reply to this would leadto a path I wasn't ready to walk yet.

I stare at my ex husband, and then offer a little smile. "I will get my m grandfather's room cleared out F tomorrow and prep it for you Goodnight, Gabriel 12:38 Tue, Jun 4.

Chapter 81 "Goodnight, baby." END GIFT